FrogWorld

Development: Stages of Metamorphosis Tadpoles are the larval stage of a frogs development. They have tails and gills and can only survive in water. Most are herbivorous, feeding on aquatic plants and algae, but some will eat anything from decaying animals to other tadpoles. The next stage in frogs' metamorphosis is when the hind legs begin to grow. Frogs in this stage of development are often referred to as polywogs. Polywogs and tadpoles are in great danger of predators. Small, newborn tadpoles are unresistable prey to large fish, shellfish, and birds. In the final stage before becoming a frog, the smaller, front legs begin to grow and the frogs' lungs begin to develop, allowing the young frogs to leave the water and onto land. The gills are lost and the tail begins to shrink. At the micro-cellular level, lysosomes, the digestive parts of a body cell, release special chemicals and enzhymes which then begin to digest the cells in the tail. Finally, the small frogs become adults. They become identical, mini-replecas of their parents. The young adults still have much growing to do before they become fully grown frogs. Previous